#? does anybody use that tag for him? I don't think so but just in case lol

[aylaaescar]

If you say that you are mine I'll be here 'til the end of time

my OC Seyda Moderni (they/them or he/him pronouns) and Red Antiqua, from @shepherds-of-haven, as done by @serahlink! :') you ever hate a dude in magic high school because you think he's a dumb frat boy, only to meet him again years later and it turns out he's actually a sweet nerdy guy you're into? who hasn't, honestly (rivals to lovers supremacy)

once again, I highly encourage you to commission Link if you're looking for art! he's wonderful to work with, and the art is beautiful :D

[larrythefloridaman]

thought about them again. sorry. it will keep happening

dont read the nccts then rewatch season one and go back to the nccts. worst mistake i ever made. So anyway let me pepe silvia at you about crimtoinette i have an essay prepared-

wasnt joking. If it were up to me this wouldnt be a link itd be a long post on here but the drafts function is not cooperating with me <3

Various stuff i drew while this analysis was in the making:

[piratefalls]

welcome back to the latest edition of biweekly fic recs! as always, mind the tags, if you can't leave a nice comment don't leave one at all, and happy reading!

masterlist.

There's No Problem That San Diego Can't Solve by @historicallysam

Alex doesn’t even bother knocking; he simply twists the knob on the door and shoves it open. His eyes narrow as the door bangs against the wall and he sees Henry on the phone. Maybe (definitely) it’s rude but his blood is fucking boiling so he doesn’t really care.

All the Ocean was Sleeping by @sparklepocalypse

The worst part about being a siren in the modern era, Henry ponders as yet another ship flies past his cove at a speed that he knows will disturb the anemone gardens below, is the yacht bros. Between the sound of their vessels’ motors and the dissonant noise the humans call music, Henry’s singing has no chance of attracting anyone’s attention.

cause you're a classic, and i'm reckless by @firenati0n

“I've, actually, uh. I've never done this before.” At this, Henry stops short, takes a second as his gaze moves up and to the left, trying to recall something. “I've seen your films. You most certainly have done intimate scenes.” Alex clears his throat. He hopes his nerves aren't completely obvious, the slight waver in his voice about to give him away. “Yeah, well. Never with a man, so. Not at this scale, anyway.” “Would it help to, er, practice?" Henry winces a little as he says it, which does not inspire confidence. But Alex is shocked nonetheless. What the fuck?

Over Land and Sea by SatinBirds

Alex and Henry come from very different worlds, and still, they manage to find each other.

Clean Slate by smc_27

“Henry.” Pez comes over, puts both hands on Henry’s cheeks and looks him dead in the eye. “You are not a sad man who’s gotten dumped. You’re in the prime of your life, and I quite desperately need you to act like it.” “The prime of my life,” Henry scoffs, more incredulous than questioning. “I��ve just gotten out of a 15 year relationship, endured a divorce, am suffering an almost impressive case of writer’s block, and your hands are like bloody icicles.” Pez grins, doesn’t take his hands away. “Explain to me how this is my prime. Please.” Pez tilts his head, and sounds entirely serious when he says, “Literally anything can happen from here.”

in bloom by stutteringpeach

Yoo, can u hook me up with some flowers?? It's the busiest day of the year for florists. Alex texts Henry with a last minute request.

here is a map (with your name for a capital) by @alasse9

That day at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Alex comes across the very same Prince Henry who just dismissed him having a panic attack in a bathroom. The choice Alex makes then has ripple effects neither of them could have ever expected. What's the story like, when they actually are friends all along? “So, you’re going back to England tonight, and you’ll spend the next three days pretending you two are the closest and best of friends until we can put this mess behind us.” And there are reasons he hasn’t told anybody this, good reasons, even though he’s sure June and Nora saw through him ages ago. Faced with his mom’s disappointment, though, and with the realization that the entire world apparently thinks he hates Henry and would willingly shove him into a fucking cake, he can’t stay quiet. “But we are friends,” he says, vehement and serious. “We have been for years. He’s—he’s probably my best friend, actually, along with Nora.”

thoughts of you consume by yrsonpurpose

Henry sees Alex appear on the red carpet in a blue suit that screams sex on legs and is ready to throw away all attempts at concealing their secret relationship in the name of dropping to his knees at the first available opportunity.

eyes on me by matherine

Alex’s hips buck back against Henry’s mouth the moment his tongue does more than tease, and Henry squeezes his hip in gentle consternation. But before he can say anything, Alex is already rambling. “Sorry, I’m — I’m sorry, I know you said not to move, and I’m trying, I — I’m trying to be good, I promise,” he blurts, voice shaking ever so slightly from something that certainly doesn’t sound like pleasure, resolutely refusing to turn his head so that he can meet Henry’s gaze from where he’s positioned behind him. Henry’s heart aches. “Alex — love, it’s alright. Where’s your mind?” Or: Sometimes, Alex needs a distraction. Something to take the edge off, to scrub away at the stress of the day. Some days, it works better than others. 

the evolution of intimacy by Poutini

There’s no spontaneity anymore. One might think this boring. That the novelty had worn off. The spark snuffed. Absolutely not

Want Me by OrchidScript

Henry had always been weak for a nice smile, but his was impossible to ignore. Blame it on summer heat and a fresh flush in his cheeks. Blame it on sunset painting the outdoor bar sweltering, romantic colors. Blame it on two healthy glasses of albariño thrumming in his bloodstream, or the good music floating on the air. Henry could blame it on anything liked if he thought long and hard about it, but that didn’t change much at the end. The core remained the same: he had been gone from the jump. -- Henry and Alex hook up on a vacation in Spain. Henry falls a bit deeper.

fill my lungs with sweetness by @priincebutt

Henry George Edward James Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor wakes up at 3 AM on his birthday to an empty bed. What could Alex possibly be getting up to at 3 AM the night before his birthday? The possibilities are endless.

got myself in quite a tangle by coffeecatsme

"It seems I've gotten myself in quite a tangle." "Tangle?" Henry's voice is hoarse, eyes darkened as they travel over Alex's body. They stop at his crotch, and Alex can see it even under the dim lights—Henry's growing hard too, a visible bulge pushing at his sweatpants. Alex's cock gives a desperate twitch. "Y'know, I was trying to put them around the tree," he starts, gesturing at the plain tree at the corner. It's clear he didn't even attempt to touch it. "And somehow I've managed to completely trap myself. Can't even move my hands." Henry makes a desperate noise at the back of his throat as his eyes snap up to Alex's face. Alex flashes him a suggestive grin, teeth biting down on his lip. "Seems I'm completely at your mercy."

The Forces of Chance and Coincidences by @stellarm

Bad weather leads to a late flight that leads to no one being where they wanted to be, but maybe everyone was where they needed to be.

I've never felt safer (than when I'm with you) by viciouslyqueer

Alex takes the bag and opens it slowly, careful not to rip it, and gasps quietly as he sees what’s inside. “H, you didn’t…” Strong arms wrap around his waist from behind, Henry’s chest warm against his back. “Do you like it?” Henry asks in a whisper, resting his chin on Alex’s shoulder. Alex doesn’t know what to say. Gingerly, like he might ruin it with even the smallest touch, he takes out the silky fabric and holds it up in front of them. It’s a gorgeous dress, fancy too, in a deep red color with thin straps and an open back. It’s long, almost touching the floor even as Alex holds it up and has a slit on the left side that would probably end a little above Alex’s knee.

An Amateur's Guide to Professional Gift-Giving by anincompletelist

Alex, a former-law-student-taking-some-time-off turned professional part-time gift giver, is tasked with finding a gift for the most high profile client he's ever worked with, both in and out of the world of law. It turns out finding the perfect gift for the Prince of Wales might be easier than he'd anticipated.

Love At First Bark by everwitch

“I still don’t know your name, do I?” Henry watches Alex where he’s crouched down in front of David and gently scratching David below his chin. David absolutely loves Alex. Henry can relate. “It’s David,” Henry supplies. “Cool,” Alex says. “And what’s the dog’s name?” Henry blinks at him. “... David?” “What?” Alex exclaims. He looks from David to Henry and then back at David again. “Wow, okay, that is a choice.” Henry wants to sink through the earth and never come back up again.

don't let me get drunk again by headabovethewater

Alex had never wanted to cancel plans as much as he had while watching Henry pull a pair of light wash, tight jeans over his stockinged legs and bare ass. Christ, he’s getting hard thinking about it now.

The Beginner's Guide to Floristry by clottedcreamfudge

As if there's anything romantic about it; as if it's not the most humiliating death Alex can imagine. This is why he doesn't do relationships. This is why he never will. The risk, as far as he fucking sees it, is too great. -- Hanahaki Disease is a fictional disease where the victim of unrequited or one-sided love begins to vomit or cough up the petals and flowers of a flowering plant growing in their lungs, which will eventually grow large enough to render breathing impossible.

Everything you take, you make it better. So go on, take forever by @hgejfmw-hgejhsf

It's 2024, and nobody knows they're engaged. But they will, just as soon as Alex can decide what to wear to his birthday dinner. Henry has an idea and a special gift to match.

false pretenses by rizcriz

Henry spins around, glaring at Alex. “For christs sake,” He hisses, holding a hand out between them. “Can we just not? I do not have the capacity to pretend to hate you today.” Alex splutters as Henry turns on his heel and starts to walk away. He stares after him helplessly. “Pretend?” After a beat, he starts to follow after him, “What the fuck do you mean pretend?” Three years of breathing down each others necks, fighting every time they come in contact with each other. And if Henry is saying every single thing on his end has been pretend, Alex Claremont-Diaz is going to have a fucking breakdown. Because he has been harboring this stupid fucking crush and burying it beneath false antagonism, meeting Henry where he’s at, for three years, and if Henry is implying that they’re both faking it— -- or, Alex learns better.

turn the desert to glass (you would be the one) by @taste-thewaste

Henry and Alex's domestic bliss has lead to some changes in Henry's body. Henry doesn't really mind being a little chubby, but he wonders if Alex does. Alex, it turns out, does not. Not one bit. He does not mind one bit, and he is more than eager to prove it.

coming on fast like good dreams do by cricketnationrise

When Henry recovers from his unexpected factory reset, he still can’t really breathe properly and somehow Alex is still standing in front of him with a hopeful and excited expression on his face. “Run that by me again?” he asks faintly. “I need your help.” “Right…” “I need you to edge me. Like a lot,” Alex says with a shrug. Nope, it’s not any clearer a second time around.

as always, let me know if you want to be tagged in future lists, whether you're a reader or writer!

tagging @starkfridays @stilesgivesmefeels @midnightsfp @sarahjswift @enablelove

[bluestarjay]

Oooh I am so tired of the twinkification of haikyuu characterssss Istg if I see one more fanart of Ushijima where he looks like the love interest of a shoujou anime, and is lean/skinny I'm gonna actually scream wth guys he's beefy he's MUSCULAR he is a professional athlete and is like 6"4 I keep seeing fanarts where he has more of Tendou's physique and it bothers me sm like I always see fanart of him and I don't recognize its him cause he's so skinny and I'm like "Who is that? He's wearing the Shiratori- Oh my God, that's not Ushijima, is it????" And then I check the tags, and it is, and I'm like ???? Like, I'm all for drawing characters according to your headcanons, but Ushijima??? Lean??? And I'll go on Pinterest to get ship stuff bc it's less organized and lowkey easier to find stuff since it's just pictures, yk? But I'll look at it, and it's all that weird ass 2000s-2010s artstyle. Take Tsukihina, for example, and Hinata looks like a child. Like Tsukishima is HUGE, and Hinata is TINY!! Their height difference is not that big. And I feel like a lot of it is from comics or doujinshi, and the style just looks like it's from something R rated ykwim???? Like all of it is just helpless baby Hinata 🥺🥺 and his huge tall 'alpha' bf Tsukishima who hates everybody but him. Like they just take random characters and twinkify them; they make them overtly feminine for no reason and it makes me sooo madddd I am sick of fuckin Thumbelina Hinata and Levi Ackerman Ushijima make it stop!!!! OR THE OPPOSITE WHERE THEY MAKE RANDOM CHARACTERS SUPER DOMINANT AND SEXY AND WEIRD BC 1 THEY ALWAYS USE THE HIGH SCHOOL VERSIONS OF THEM AND 2 THEY ARE FUCKING LOSERS AND NERDS THEYRE NOT CALLING A GODDAMN SOUL "BABYGIRL 🫦😩" THEY ARE CALLING EACH OTHER MORONS AND INSULTINF THEIR HAIRCUTS **edit, I just wanted to add that all the fanarts I see of the popular characters, e.g ushijima, atsumu/osamu, oikawa, etc, all have the same exact face toooo, And I actually HATE the kind of art where people make them *so* buff they look like a Jojo or DBZ character,, someone who reblogged brought that up a bit and REALLL I hate it. And this is kinda irrelevant, but I think people also forget that people's body types change over time. Changing a characters body type (at least according to the character/source) should be fine, as that's what happens as you age. A character from an apocalypse show probably isn't gonna be super buff, but rather lean bc yes they are technically working out in the fact that they are traveling a lot and idk like killing zombies or whatever the basis for the show is, but there's also gonna be a loss of food yk, so they'd still be rather skinny. And that'd be the case for any body type. A high schooler isn't gonna have the same body as an adult, and people don't usually account for that, which is fine, I'm not saying anybody has to because it's such a small thing usually, but it's just a small pet peeve of mine. (I want a muscular post time skip Osamu with some chubbiness so bad he loves to eat, but he does still like working out. I just know that man has some chub on his stomach and I want it 😩😩)

[c-u-c-koo-4-40k]

Not story more ramble but I will still tag.

@egrets-not-regrets @bleedingichorhearts @kit-williams @sleepyfan-blog @barn-anon

Spoilers for Warhammer Fulgrim Lore.

I think the husbandry fandom has missed a profound opportunity for some juicy conflict!

So we have some general agreed upon notions for how certain legions react to Husbandry Terra. Now obviously not all of a single space marine type behave the same way but there be trends.

Salamanders, Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Thousand Sons, Space Wolves, Imperial Fists: these groups generally accept bonds and human companionship as they had decent human contact in their original timeline.

Then you've got the grumps who love the attention but getting them to admit it is like Pulling Teeth: Night Lords, Iron Hands and Iron Warriors.

But we have been missing out! On a delightfully painful side of our favorite premadonnas. The Emperor's Children.

Now they and their sire Fulgrim are often stereotyped as such. Elegant, pompous, snooty and post heresy they go completely mask off a drive full into unbound freak territory.

But their story is much more tragic than a spoiled brat leading other spoiled brats into serving the God of overdoing things.

Fulgrim isn't spoken of as much in terms of being screwed over, but looking closer he really was.

Shot to an awful industrial planet where he watched his adopted family struggle to feed him let alone themselves. It would give anybody a complex.

Needing to be useful, needing to contribute, needing to not be a burden.

And once the The Big E showed up it didn't get much better.

His sons? Suffer a geneflaw that gives them astarte cancer. He not only loses many of them, but has to make due with what he has left. Meaning no matter how well trained, he just can't conquer planets at the rate dear old dad wants him to.

His brothers? Got there own issues and probably don't take Fulgrim's struggles seriously. He's just at that spot of "Wow that sucks," and "But the others have it worse.' He probably doesn't feel like he can talk deeply to anyone.

So Fulgrim does what many unloved children do, in fact he does the same thing as Perturabo, Pushes Himself to The Breaking Point.

In Fulgrim's case, any failures he blames completely on himself. Where Perty lashes out, Fulgrim turns inward.

Until he just can't take it anymore. He decides he's going to finally be selfish. Commit fully to the pleasures and pain so he never has to remember the agony he feels, that he will Never, be good enough

Heck killing Ferrus probably cemented that feeling in him. I'm not worth anything, so why bother trying to be good. Why not just be the absolute Worst.

Heavy stuff. But this leads me to my main musing.

In 40k the sins of the father very much affect the sons.

So my proposition is...you think other space marines are clingy? They hold not a Candle to an Emperor's Child. Especially one post heresy.

If you show an EC that they can be open, vulnerable, Imperfect, around you, and you don't immediately turn tail and run from the baggage, You Will Never Escape.

They don't just crave intimacy, they crave stability, affection, LOVE.

And if you give them any indication you'll supply it, they will Never let themselves be cut off.

[jungle-angel]

Classroom Chaos (Calvin Evans x Reader)

Summary: Calvin decides to have a little bit of fun with his students the day before Christmas break

Tagging: @floydsmuse

Warnings: Mentions of pregnancy, birth etc.

The last class of the morning and Calvin could hardly wait for the already short day to be over so he could get home to you and Ellen. Finals had all been graded, all last minute paperwork filed away for the new year and experiments completed so that the lab could be cleaned.

"Alright guys," Calvin said to his students. "Everything's done and there's nothing else to do. Shall we play a quiz game in that case?"

"YES PLEASE!!!!!" The students shouted excitedly.

"Alright up on those counters!" Calvin told them.

All of the students excitedly sat cross legged on the lab counters while Calvin prepared the questions.

"Alright hotshots, pop quiz," Calvin said. "Can you set fire to a diamond? True or False?"

"TRUE!"

"Why's it true? David?"

"Because it's a carbon based element," David answered.

"Good sir, you have just earned yourself a Mounds bar!" Calvin said, pulling a candy bar out of his desk drawer.

"Oooh my favorite, gimme!!" David chirped, catching the candy bar that Calvin had chucked at him.

"Question number two!" Calvin announced. "Can dissolving salt molecules in water make its atoms ionize?"

"No!" one student declared.

"Tell me why Cindy."

"Because the ionization process starts before they even touch water."

"OOOOH MY DEAR LORD!" Calvin proudly declared. "Young lady, here's a Baby Ruth for your troubles."

Cindy happily caught the Baby Ruth bar as though it were a baseball, carefully sticking it in her bag for later.

"Alright guys let's jump to the periodic table for a bit," Calvin said. Abbreviation for Tungsten?"

"W!" shouted a student in the back before Calvin tossed him a Milky Way.

"Anybody know NI?" Calvin asked.

"Nickel!" answered another.

Once again Calvin tossed the student a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and another a few pieces of chocolate-peanut butter fudge that his mother had made for the family Christmas party which was just around the corner.

"Alright, the letter Y is abbreviation for what?" Calvin asked.

"Yer mother!" came a laughing voice from the doorway.

Calvin jumped a little but his students burst out laughing and so didn't he when he saw Father McDowell laughing in the doorway with Six-Thirty next to him.

"Sneakin in on us Padre?" Calvin chuckled.

"Heard the chaos in the halls and thought I'd get meself in on the action," the priest laughed. "That and I believe this little bugger to you."

He let go of Six-Thirty's leash before he trotted over to Calvin but before anymore questions could be asked, the hour had come for dismissal. Calvin gathered up Six-Thirty and headed out with Father McDowell to drop him off at the church rectory down the street from where you and Calvin lived.

"Still need a ride to the airport on Wednesday?" Calvin asked him.

"Nah," Father McDowell told him. "Me oldest came out from Ann Arbor the other day with the wife and kids and he offered to run Helen and I wherever we need to go."

"Does she need anything?" Calvin asked. "Helen?"

"Eh, just the bedrest," Father McDowell told him. "As long as neither of us are out in this dratted snowstorm that's comin, I think we'll be just fine."

Six-Thirty snorted as though he had understood the priest's dilema perfectly.

"I'd agree with ye too me furry friend," he chuckled. "I be thinkin a trip to St. Lucia might be in order for the both of us."

"Can you take (y/n) and I with you?" Calvin asked cheekily.

"Don't tempt me ye little gobshite," Father McDowell told him jokingly. "Yer supposed to be at home takin care o' her and the baby last I heard."

"Really? Who told you?" Calvin chuckled.

"Yer damn mother! That's who!" Father McDowell laughed. "Don't think I didn't hear it from her after Sunday Mass, she told me ever'thin."

Calvin laughed the whole time they were driving home and even a little after he had dropped Father McDowell off in front of the rectory. He couldn't help it either when he unloaded Six-Thirty from the back and let him into the house, only quieting down when he walked in to hear the soft sound of the Christmas records playing on the stereo and the crackling of the warm fire in the living room.

He leaned over the back of the couch where you had been sitting, rocking Baby Ellen in her little wood cradle. Six Thirty cautiously peered in, resting his head on the edge as he gazed at the tiny little human within.

"You're home early," you said.

"Better early than late," Calvin said, leaning in to press a soft kiss to your lips. "How is she?"

"Tired," you answered. "I just fed her two minutes ago so she'll be out until well after dinner."

Calvin came around and seated himself next to you as Ellen began to stir, placing his large but gentle hand on her little belly to calm her down. It wasn't long before she went back to sleep and before you two had snuggled into each other, relieved that now you could have five weeks all to yourselves.

[misc-obeyme]

please share your thoughts about someone having a demon's grimoire and control over them, i am very curious

because my first thought was like, belphie makes his pact with mc as a way to never hurt them again after lesson 16. imagine someone gets their hand on his grimoire

and do the brothers share a single one?? I've always wondered that, like it'd make sense as they are the Avatars and fallen angels, except for satan. Like theirs had to be created when they fell right? Maybe their grimoire is actually a case that holds all seven together.

but if they had individual one's, why would that be kinda romantic to get someone's grimoire. like the trust that has to come from that is so immense. Better than a marriage proposal, that's like soul bond level or something. Imagine mc getting buried with it too if they die (i say if because i have lots of ideas about what will happen to mc and about their lifespan that i could ramble about)

- ✨ anon

Ah, my tags give me away yet again lol!

I just feel like there's a lot of stuff about grimoires that we don't know, specifically about how they work.

Sure, having a grimoire gives you control over a demon, even overriding any pacts that demon has. But does that mean you have to be physically holding it at the time? Or can it just be considered to be in your possession? Does having a single page from the grimoire work? What's even in the grimoire? It's a big ole book is it just full of blank pages?

I have questions!!

Presumably, the demons themselves can use pages of their grimoire to cast spells or otherwise protect the holder of that page. We saw that happen when Barbatos gave MC a piece of paper from his grimoire just before MC found Belphie in the attic. Belphie then cast his sleepy lethargy spell on MC, but the paper flashed with a blinding light and then MC & Belphie were sucked into the Little D.

So was that Barbatos protecting MC and lifting Belphie's lethargy spell? Was that Barbatos somehow initiating MC and Belphie going into Belphie's mind? How did he do that with only a scrap of paper from his grimoire? Why did it work if MC is not the holder of the grimoire??

The questions continue lol.

Anyway, I do think the brothers only have one grimoire. Isn't it the same one that was in the Underground Tomb in OG? And then in NB, it's the one that Solomon goes to the Fountain of Knowledge to find, only to have MC hand it over to Lucifer.

So it did sound like they only have one grimoire for all of them.

Which is kinda crazy because man if anybody got their hands on it...

And just imagine someone evil getting a hold of it... for instance, if we're talking about Belphie, they could really mess with him by making him hurt MC.

But if they did have individual ones, it would be pretty romantic to give that to MC. I like the idea of MC being buried with the grimoire, even if it was the one that belonged to all seven of them. Like, they know it'll be safe with MC's skeleton! Awww.

I also have thoughts about MC's lifespan and the possibilities of it. Just seems unlikely that someone like MC would stay mortal unless they straight up chose to and even then... they got too much magic and such at this point, you know? Feel free to ramble all about it if you like!

Anyway, the grimoire thing really plays a part in Arrie's story, so I've had to answer all the questions about it myself. Since they don't tell us all that stuff, I just made up whatever worked best for my story lol. I have done that with a lot of things for this story honestly...

[chaosteddybear]

How about Eros 1 & 4, Philia 1, 3 & 5, Storge 1 & 3 for Mix? 👀

WOW THANK YOU!!!! ❤️ Answering these all for Mix <3 <3

Eros 1: Is your OC romantic in the traditional sense? Do they enjoy giving or receiving gifts of flowers or confectionary? Or are there other courtship traditions from their culture of origin that are important to them?

Gods, yes. Mix is hyper romantic I think. Romantic++

He is always thinking of his love and wants to take care of them. Some "romantic" things he does for anyone in his pack but the true romance is saved for his love - he's very monogamous. So he may bring gifts back for everyone after a trip, but the one for his love will be much more extravagant and more thoughtful than the rest. There will be more of them as well.

He loves to write his feelings down in letters, and he loves to do things like stick up for them, serve them, all of that!

To be done romantic things FOR would drive him absolutely crazy. Why? Why would they do this! He would be bawling probably every time.

Eros 4: Do they believe in love at first sight? Have they ever developed a crush or romantic (or erotic) fixation upon a stranger based on their appearance alone?

TLDR not based on aesthetics but based on actions he does in a way! Answered here

Philia 1: Does your OC have a Best Friend? If they do then how long have they known each other and how did they meet? If they don't then do they have a close group of friends they love equally? Or are they more of a loner?

I think Sasli, Turgi, and Rowley are his best friends. First he met Turgi - she pulled him out of his Rambling Era by suggesting that he make a new family 😭 He needs her still for a while, and he loves her too (as a friend). They're inseparable and she does a lot of calling him on his shit...

Sasli... he will always be her most reliable and loving friend. Sure he wanted more. But he accepted early that he wouldn't get it, and why would that get in the way of still loving her in platonic ways? He and Turgi met Sasli together and brought her into the pack 🥺 so he knows her the most medium amount of the bunch, I suppose.

Rowley, well, this one is more interesting!!! Sasli is in love with Rowley, which I won't explain here, but that's how Mix meets him! Well. He is so skeptical at first. Honestly, a little jealous. But. He wants the best for Sasli, so he only gives real criticisms and only to his face, to see his reactions. The snark is pretty adorable, actually. Rowley (almost) always wins, putting Mix in his place. After a while, he warms up to Rowley a lot. And not only does he prove he is worthy of Sasli, but he also proves he is worthy for even more. Yea, Mix would kill for him. (tag @dmagedgoods for Rowley <3)

Philia 3: What qualities does your OC most value in a friend? Loyalty? Shared sense of humour? Or something else?

Value? In a friend? How about just existing? They don't owe him anything! How could they? What does he even deserve?

Haha, but really. I think for him the most important thing is loving the people he already loves. Or at least respecting them? Making them happy and not killing them? That would be enough, in some cases. Because his pack is fully under his protection, anybody who threatens them in any way will not make it through his front door!

Philia 5: What is their most fervent wish for their best friend(s)? How far would they go to make it happen?

This is such a tough question for Mix because who is he to decide what they do and don't get!

I suppose safety. His most selfish desire is for his friends to be safe and without harm. And yes, he will use all of his skills to ensure this happens. Maybe a bit trigger happy if I'm being honest.... He would go as far as needed. He would kill to keep his pack members safe.

Storge 1: Did your OC's parents love them unconditionally? If so then has this helped them feel confident as an adult? If not then how has this affected them? What were the conditions their family attached to their relationship?

Mix was lucky. His family loved him absolutely and unconditionally.

It .. Fuck, it DID give him confidence. Too much, really! He feels he really let them down, and it's made worse because they thought the world of him. That bittersweet line between "I'm a failure" and "I'm only a failure because I WASN'T THERE." He really feels like he let them down and he will probably never get over it.

However, they did give him maybe more freedom than a kid should have. So that's important to who he is too 😂 his little solo trips smh.

Storge 3: How far does parental approval (imagined or expressed) impact upon their current sense of self-worth? What might they sacrifice or attempt to achieve in order to ensure the approval of their parents?

Not at all to be honest. He really defines his self-worth on his own, but he sure is harsh about it..

The ask post

[libroseitm]

I'm feeling kinda down lately, I'm sure I'm not the only one.

SO. Battle jackets on! I'm going to drum up some positivity for myself and pop it on here in case it helps anybody else too.

First I'm going to look at the last week of ofmd daily recaps from the wonderful and sensational @gentlebeardsbarngrill. I'd recommend looking back at these too, Abby does such an amazing job and they're great for a moral boost!

From these, I've seen in the last week alone:

.The trending tags we've caught: Rhys x3, Stede, Ed and Stede, #MerStedeMonday, #OurflagBBC, OurFlagMeansDeath x2, BOYFRIENDS.

.OFMD was mentioned or written about in 17 articles.

That's utterly insane and ya'll should be PROUD that we're still being so loud, and that we're still still being talked about. Articles don't get written for the lols, they get written for views. So clearly people think OFMD is still news worthy and that's hyping me the fuck up right now.

Next I'm looking at the simple things that I've done, and that I've seen other people do. These are things that help boost our numbers and moral, so if you've done any of these this week, give yourself a big ol' horse pat on the back:

.Watched OFMD

.Used the hashtags

.Talked to a friend

.Been silly in the Tumblr tags

.Made something (meme, fanart, crochet, fanfiction, a joke etc)

.Commenting on or kudosing a fanfiction

I've mostly been on twitter for campaign reasons. Here's some of the wonderful fanart I've seen that has been made in the last week alone:

Roach if he had stayed on the revenge in Kraken era

Mer!Ed finding a message in a bottle from Stede

Ed wearing the bird robe, lovingly smoochin' Stede

Ed cradling Stede's face inspired by the BTS underwater scene

Captain Frenchie updating Seagull!Buttons on the latest gos

As a last lil' boost, here are the gentlebeard fanfics I've recently read that I can highly recommend:

let me wash your worries away by anathxmadevice (checkmate)

.1,985 words .Mature

Stede is very overstimulated after a long weekend and unusre about what he wants. Ed helps him through in an intimate shower scene. The fic focusses on self-care and not fucking, for once in Ed and Stede's life. I'm obssessed with it.

Tooth Hurty by nomandsland

.2,538 words .Mature

Ed goes to the dentist with a cracked tooth. He's uncomfortable at the dentist's but get's horny about it this time around because his dentist is hot. I laughed all the way through this one :'D

but if I'm all dressed up (they might as well be looking at us) by mediocrepirate

.5,159 words .Explicit

This fic is delicious- plain and simple. Ed and Stede are at an awards event for Ed's music (yeah, he's a rockstar keep up). They're more than a little riled up and shenangans ensue. Mediocrepirate's writing is just exquisite and you are missing out if you haven't read at least one of their fics.

When life gives you lemons by anathxmadevice (checkmate)

.6,627 words .Explicit

Ed is enjoying, or at least trying to enjoy, retired life in the quiet town of Revenge. Life gets way more interesting when he discovers a lemonade stand, or rather, dicovers that lemonade stand kid has a hot dad. It's delightful, endearing and funny!

sunflowers in the kitchen by daydreamcrash

.7,2777 words .Explicit

Ed and Stede have a marriage kink. No seriously. Very funny, very hot, and gloriously domestic.

and the songbirds are singing like they know the score by mediocrepirate

.3,789 words .Teen and up

Stede takes care of Ed, focussing on non sexual intimacy. Did I mention that Mediocrepirates writing is wonderful already? Well I'm saying it again. This fic is so beautiful it HURTS.

[meluiloth]

Interesting Questions for MUNS (and writers):

I was tagged by @saephrond to answer these fun questions about writing - or roleplaying, which I've now learned more about thanks to them - and even though I'm very late, I've finally had time to get around to it!! I'm going to answer these questions from the writing perspective, using Culfin as my muse!

1. Would you say that ever since you started writing for your muse you have become more similar to your muse? In what ways?

Quite the opposite, actually - in many ways, Culfin's personality and experiences are referenced loosely on my own. His story has elements of mine in it, which I think adds a lot of depth; after all, they say to 'write what you know', and I find doing that is very helpful.

2. Do you self-project yourself into your muse? If so, then how?

As mentioned above, I definitely do - not to a degree where Culfin is a self-insert, but there are elements of myself in him: his awkwardness in social situations, his eagerness to find a direction in life, his tendency to form strong opinions on people based on first interactions, his determination to look on the bright side - those are all traits familiar to me.

3. Do you regret writing any of your past muses?

In some cases, yes; there are characters who essentially 'haunt' me just because I know I'll never have the inspiration / motivation to write for them, and characters I have written for that I've since lost interest in. I don't regret the experience developing them gave me, but I do regret the character.

4. Would you like to become more like your muse some day?

In some ways, yes; Culfin is a very active character who knows what he wants (even if it might not be what he needs in the long run) and stubbornly chases after it, so I would love his sense of direction. However, he also completely lacks self-esteem and tends to be on the naive side, which aren't traits I would like to exemplify.

5. Do you agree with your muse's decisions? Why or why not?

As the writer of his story, I know exactly where most of Culfin's decisions will lead him; some of them I strongly disagree with, even though they are integral to his story, but others I fully agree with. The ones I disagree with are the ones he makes out of the desire to please others rather than himself, or that he makes despite some major red flags that he chooses not to see. The best choices, though, are those that he makes with his own heart in mind; choices that are neither selfish or self-sacrificing, but where he truly takes into account his own worth.

6. If your muse came to life, do you think you would get along with them?

That's a good question; in some ways, we would get along well, but there would be a lot of factors that could make being friends with Culfin difficult. We're both very intense people who feel things very deeply, so there could be a lot of butting heads there. That and he doesn't really have a filter, so he says and does a lot of things that come across as rude or embarrassing. (Actually, this question is fun because I did write a self-insert character into Misfit who does interact with Culfin for a bit! You'll probably know her right away if you read it!)

7. Would you say that your attitude changes when you get 'into the zone' of writing your muse? (ex: when you write for your muse do you begin to sort of talk like them? do you find yourself feeling grumpy after? etc)

Culfin's mannerisms are quite different than mine, including his way of speech, so when I write I kind of have to deliberate over what he would say or do in any given situation, and how he would do it. It's not hard to write him, per se, but I do have to think about it a bit: writing Culfin involves a lot of trial and error.

8. Do you like to tell people that you like to RP on tumblr? If not, then do you think you'll tell anybody?

I don't have a lot of experience with roleplaying; there are a very few people I've roleplayed with (on Quotev) which has been awesome, but I tend to be careful with that element of connection in general, since I always prioritize internet safety. It's really fun, though, and I might find a way to get into it in the future!

9. Has your muse taught you anything about yourself and/or the world?

Writing Culfin has taught me that patience is key. This isn't a lesson I've learned through his story, but through the actual writing process - I've been working on Misfit for about three years now, and progress is slow, but I'm very proud of what I've done and where the story is going, and I always need to keep in mind that rushing is not the solution. There is no time limit on creativity.

10. After a writing slump, how do you manage to get your muse back?

I engage with my story in ways that aren't exactly writing - whether that's making art based on it, adding to or looking at the story's moodboard, listening to the playlists (I have two: one for the actual storyline and one for writing ambience), or talking about it with my friends! Sometimes inspiration comes naturally to me, other times I have to hype it up by drawing energy from other sources.

Thanks so much for challenging me with this questionnaire, @saephrond - it was so fun, and I definitely had to stretch my mind to answer these!!

[annaphoenix1994]

Ch.52 - All I See Is You

Previous Chapter - Masterlist - Next Chapter

Kiera meets with Laswell to inform her of her decision to resign as a Case Officer; Eva, Kiera's mother, tags along while Simon shops for the perfect ring; Simon grows to enjoy spending quality time with his future mother-in-law.

"So, how's everything been, Kiera?" Laswell asked as the women sat at a local cafe, catching up on topics other than work. 

She sighed, taking a sip of the glass of water the server brought her, finding the sound of anything else to drink to be nauseating to her as she found herself occasionally taking a bite of her sandwich. "They've been good. Much better since that shit with Shepherd has been dealt with." 

"I agree. With the water settling now, it'll be easier to focus," Laswell nodded. "I think we've earned ourselves a break for a while." 

"Well, speaking of breaks, I was going to talk to you about something," Kiera sighed, finding it rather difficult to tell Laswell, of all people, that she was pregnant and wanting to resign. "Nobody expected this, especially me, but I've been putting a lot of thought behind it..." 

"You're scaring me." Laswell narrowed her eyes, setting aside her drink. 

"As much as I've enjoyed my job, I think it's time I resign. Given everything that's happened, I don't want to risk putting my family in the middle of it again." 

"None of that was your fault-"

"Partially, yeah," Kiera scoffed. "I keep blaming myself. I can't get Fernando's screams out of my head since we found him. I'm not going to put anyone through it again." She explained, frowning and breaking contact with Laswell. 

"Is there something else bothering you?" 

She nodded hesitantly. 

"How far along are you?" 

"H-How did you know?"

"You know as well as I do that the C.I.A burns body language into your brain," Laswell chuckled. "I'm a mother myself. I know that certain glow." 

"I didn't know you had any kids?" 

"I never told anybody because I feared the same thing that you did. I respect your decision, Kiera. I just hate I'm losing one of the best Case Officers that ever stepped foot in our office, but it's not the time to be selfish. Are you nervous?" 

"Very," She breathed. "Simon is beyond excited by how he's been acting. I was afraid he wasn't going to take it well." 

"I can understand that. He's always been hard to read, but he always got straight to the point." 

"That he does." 

"He mentioned flying to London for a military ball, right? When is that coming up?" 

"He said it's on the twentieth of next month. He mentioned flying out on the tenth to spend a few days there before coming home. He wants to take me to his hometown." 

"That'll be nice," Laswell assured her with a smile. "Have you gotten a dress?" 

"I had one picked out, but I don't think I'll fit in it now!" 

"You never did tell me how far along you were," She snickered. "You won't grow twice your size every week." 

"I'm roughly seven weeks, coming up on eight. I go back for another ultrasound the week before we leave for London. Hopefully, she can tell us the gender, but I'm not sure if I want to know." 

"Afraid you'll be disappointed?" Laswell teased. 

"No, I think it would be more special for it to be a surprise. Although Simon wants a boy and I want a girl. I guess a part of my anxious mind wants to keep it a secret until the baby is here so that I can be with Simon as much as possible because I'm afraid he'll leave me if it's a girl." She scoffed, knowing better than to think of Simon that way, her previous relationship being a constant dark reminder of how some men were:

*

"I can't have more kids. If you're pregnant, I'm signing my rights over. I don't want nothing to do with it."

"You're mad that I might be pregnant, but yet didn't do anything to prevent it from happening? You know condoms are a thing, right?" 

"Not my job to worry about not getting pregnant. Birth control is a thing too." 

"Yeah, and so is keeping my legs closed," Kiera scoffed. "Oh, but you're always insisting on having sex whenever you feel like it. Condoms don't have the shitty side effects like birth control does. Weight gain, acne, bloating, cramps, everything, Joe. Doesn't hurt wear one." 

"No, you gained weight because you're always eating. Eating too much leads to acne. Cramps are from your period." 

"What's your excuse, then?" Kiera scoffed, arching her brow and nodding her head towards his gut. 

He pursed his lips, "You talk like that to me again, and I'll make sure you're not pregnant." 

"You wouldn't dare." 

"Try me. I'm serious. If you're pregnant I'm out. I'm not going through this again. I already have three." 

"Those poor souls," She scoffed. "But yet when your ex said she might be pregnant you didn't seem too sad about that, huh? You must think I'm stupid if you think I didn't hear you talking to her on the phone when you said you thought you were excited to hear about her being pregnant. Goes to show me that I was just a side piece to you when you did nothing but tell me what I want to hear because you were bored with her and got with someone else." 

"You're full of shit, Kiera. Go take a test. Now." 

"No. You want me to take one so bad, go get one." 

"Oh, so you're not worried about having a kid?" 

"I've always wanted one. If I am, I'm having this baby with or without you - preferably without you because you're acting like a piece of shit. I don't want my baby near that." 

"Fine, I'll go get a test. If it comes back positive, you either get out of my life or I'll go get a hanger." 

Kiera's anger peaked, not hesitating to slap him across his cheek, knowing that he could easily overpower her. "You do that again and my next hit will be to that stomach." 

She hit him again, knowing that he wouldn't do such a thing as her fighting skills have peaked since before they started seeing each other, her other hand balled and ready to fight after she taunted him. "You do that, and I'll kill you," She hissed. "Just fucking leave. You won't change, but I will. I'm not putting myself through this shit." 

"Good luck finding someone better." 

"Fuck, I can go across the street and find someone better. Anyone is better than you. Threatening to kill a life possibly inside of me? That's not a man, you're just an overgrown teenager."

"Is that really what you think of me?" 

"Oh, no, what I think of you is way worse than what I've said, but I figured I'd refrain from hurting your ego." 

He scoffed, stepping closer to her, using his height in a pathetic attempt to intimidate her, "Try me." 

"Now that you mention it, I will gladly begin," She scoffed sarcastically. "First of all, you can't expect to not brush your teeth and your breath smell good. And no, cigarettes won't mask it. Two, you can't say you give good head when, in fact, you don't-"

"You weren't saying that weeks ago." 

"Just like I also didn't say I had to finish myself off because you didn't last long. Don't get too hurt yet, I'm not done," She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Three, you can't walk around like you're ten foot tall and bulletproof when you're just as tall as me."

"Yeah, you're just as tall as me and just as fat." He retorted, aiming to hurt her composure as he knew her weight was something that she always frowned upon. 

What he didn't expect, though, was an immediate ego check. 

"Yeah? Well let me tell you something. I can control my weight. Until you can control your  receding hairline, height, and dick size, then you can have a say in how you think I'm supposed to look. Considering you can't change those things about yourself, I suggest you shut the fuck up."

His anger peaked, pursing his lips and attempting to grab her throat only to find her shin pinning against his groin in a swift kick, making him drop to his knees to clutch himself. He didn't know much, nor care, about Kiera's career, unaware that she was elite in hand-to -hand combat and having fought off several men on her last deployment. 

She swore to keep her "military mode" on base, but in her situation, she couldn't help herself not to. He winced, hearing her scoff, "Didn't figure I'd get a reaction out of you with that little tic-tac between your legs," She began to interrogate. "When you can make yourself get up, I suggest that you quickly leave my house before I make you." 

"Yeah? You couldn't even lift me-"

"There's more than one way to skin a cat, Joe. I'll either make you leave, or call someone to come and get you." She warned. He nodded, catching his breath before using the counter to help him stand to his feet and pull his keys out of his pocket. "I suggest you don't come back. This is over." 

"Saved me from saying it. I pity the man who thinks he wants you." 

"I do, too, but I know the red flags to look out for, so I doubt it'll ever happen again." 

*

Kiera recalled the event like it was yesterday, immediately frowning as the altercation was emotionally tragic, especially gnawing at her with every positive thought Simon would put into her head, her trauma telling her that it wasn't true. She felt his love he effortlessly gave her, but she also wondered when he'd get bored... just like every other guy I've dated. They get bored when the spark is out, she thought, frowning as her fingers fumbled with the hem of her blouse. He'll get bored when I don't have the body I used to have when we met - when I'm stretched and scarred with saggy tits and more cellulite. He'll find someone better. 

Her raging hormones weren't helping her negative thoughts, either. Unaware that she found herself crying - sobbing - uncontrollably in public with Laswell staring at her in shock, never seeing Kiera cry before. "Kiera? What's wrong?" Laswell asked frantically, moving to sit across the table to sit next to her, Kiera's elbows resting on the table as she hid her face in her hands. "Are you afraid he's going to leave?" 

She sobbed, nodding. 

"I doubt he will, honey. That man is head over heels for you." 

"Yeah, for now. He won't see me the same after I have this baby. He'll get bored of my body and want to see someone else who doesn't have stretch marks, saggy boobs and cellulite. What if I don't have a boy? He'll probably leave after that, too - finding someone else who either already has a boy or to get another girl pregnant because I'm all used up." 

"Listen to yourself, Kiera. You're talking nonsense. I know your hormones are going crazy right now, but you can't let what happened with Joe talk you out of a healthy relationship." 

"You even said yourself that all men are shit." Kiera scoffed. 

"Yeah, but I'm also married to a woman," Laswell giggled, easing the tension and patting Kiera's shoulder. "I haven't known Simon for long, but I do know that he's very loyal and honest. He's been one of the most loyal soldiers I've ever seen. It's funny because when I see him with you or hear him talk about you, it's like I can't imagine him in that mask he wore on tasks. It's like two different people." 

"I didn't expect it either, so it's fine." Kiera huffed, wiping her tears from her cheeks. 

Aside from her own mother, Laswell was like a second - more stern - mother to Kiera - knowing her as well as a mother should. Knowing when she was upset, angry, heartbroken, and most of all - relentless. Laswell always compared Kiera to a force of nature when she was on the field, executing her authority on many levels, giving Laswell the confidence to send Kiera anywhere on the planet, knowing she'd get the job done and leave no trace. 

"I know it's easier said than done, but don't let your assumptions break your heart. Simon hasn't given you a reason to want to leave, has he?" 

"No, but he's still in the I think I'm in love stage," She doubted herself again, letting her traumatic experiences speak for her. "He treats me better than I deserve and I feel like I can't return the favor." 

"I know he's in love, Kiera."

"For now-"

"Stop it. Right now," Laswell scolded her, the woman's motherly instincts kicking in. "That man loves you, Kiera. When you were in the hospital after what happened in Chicago, he stayed in that waiting room for hours just waiting to get to see you. He didn't eat until I had to bring him something the next morning. When he did, he hardly ever left your bedside unless it was to give room to the nurses or to shower. Believe me, I walked in to check on you every chance I could along with Price. He didn't leave unless you did. When those doctors were dressing your wounds and changing your bandages, he wanted to learn too so that he could do it himself when you got back home. There was no way in hell me or Price could've talked him out of it and you know how devoted he is to his country," She continued, raising her brows as she spoke sense into her. "I bet you could call him right now and say you were hurting and he'd be heading this way. I wish you'd let yourself just give in and be happy. You deserve it, but you're making it seem like you're expecting the worst when you really have the best thing every woman wants." 

*

"What about this one?" Simon asked Eva, pointing down at a gorgeous diamond ring that was being shown in the case. 

"What do you think, dear? They're all beautiful, but do you think it suits her?" 

He thought hard on it, trying to picture it on her finger before he shook his head, "She'll probably think it's too big," He chuckled. "She's always been a simple person." 

"That she is," Eva giggled at the thought, separating from him a few steps before looking down at another ring that spoke volumes to Kiera's taste. It wasn't bulky nor too slender. A silver diamond ring with a princess cut and decorative diamonds along the silver band. "Look at this one, Simon." 

"That's gorgeous," He huffed, perfectly imagining how it would complement that pretty finger of hers. "I'll probably come back to that one, but I'm going to look around some more before I decide." 

He completely ignored the price tag... Eva thought as she watched him continue to look through the gallery, taking time in each ring he thought would be a good fit. "You look like you're pondering on asking the big question." An employee smiled at him from the other side of the case. 

"Oh, I'm done pondering - I've already decided. Now I'm just doing the hard part on finding the perfect one." 

"I'll be glad to help you with that if you'd like?" The woman asked, visibly too cheerful to assist him. Are all women like this? He thought to himself, wondering if he was really that attractive or if she was just browsing herself for a man. Seeing that she had no ring on her finger, Simon assumed that was why she was so adamant. Or she's just doing her job. 

"You know more about it than I do," He chuckled anxiously, hating having to ask someone for assistance. "There's a few in here that I like, but I keep being drawn back to one and I don't know if she'd like it or not. I want it to be special for her." 

The employee smiled, adjusting her weight on her heels before splaying her hands on the case, a pathetic attempt at showing Simon that she wasn't taken if he wanted to keep shopping. "I'll be glad to help. What's her name?" 

"Kiera." 

"Beautiful name," She smiled. "Do you have a photo of her by chance? Don't worry, I do this with every expecting fiancé so I can help with rings that complement their lifestyle." 

Sure you do, Simon scoffed to himself. Prying isn't going to open up a door for you, lass.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and set it on the case, tapping on the screen once for his favorite wallpaper to appear in front of the woman's eyes - the photo he took of her on her horse while she was at the arena. Oh, I know her...

He watched how the woman made a furrowed expression, hoping she was just finding it funny how Kiera's horse made a funny face and not scowling at Kiera herself. "That horse," She breathed a laugh. "Funny." 

"He means the world to her." He said sternly. 

"I can see that," She nodded, glancing at Kiera's mother as she approached Simon's side. "I take it she's a horse person?" 

"Very much so. She works hard. She works with her hands a lot, so I didn't want to get a ring that was too heavy or too bulky for her finger, but I want to get her something special." 

"I have a few that are in the size you're probably wanting. What's your budget?" 

"I'm not worried about that."

"Oh, okay," She nearly gasped, never truly hearing that before. "You mentioned you had a ring in mind already? Which one were you looking at?" 

"It was style 68843," Eva answered, knowing Simon didn't look at the number nor the price tag. With a giggle, she watched Simon nod at the employee before she waltzed off to find the style number, taking a few moments before she returned to her new customer with the ring between her thumb and index finger, easily setting it in Simon's hand as he looked at it closer. 

"Bloody perfect, yeah?" He asked Eva, letting her take a closer look herself as she nodded in approval. 

"She'll love it, dear. It definitely looks like something she'd wear." 

"I think so, too. What size is this one?" 

"Um..." The employee hummed before reaching for the tag, the tip of her acrylic nail scraping his thumb subtly as she turned the tag to look. "This one is a six." 

"That's just her size, Simon." 

"She must have some tiny fingers," The clerk giggled. "Don't have many women come in with that size." 

"Her hands are very small," Simon agreed, chuckling at the thought of how small they were in his hands. "I didn't realize how small she was because I'm twice her size," He continued, looking at the diameter of the band and comparing it mentally to the size of his fingers, concluding that if he were to truly compare, his pinky finger would probably be the closest to her ring finger size. "Tiny feet, tiny ears, tiny nose..." And a tiny baby in that perfect belly, he thought, thankful that he didn't mention it in front of her mother...again. 

You wouldn't be wanting to marry her if you would've seen how big she was in high school, the clerk thought negatively. Being one of Kiera's former bullies in school, she would never admit that she was jealous. Especially seeing the man before her that was wanting to ask the big question. God, you're so tall...

"Well, I think this one would be perfect with the picture you showed me. It looks like it would suit her well." 

Simon took notice of the clerk's jealousy, taking the perfect opportunity to continue talking about Kiera to piss her off, pleased at how he could shut the door of any hope the woman had towards him by making it clear that he wasn't interested. "I think it would, too. She deserves the world." 

"I think we've found the perfect one?" Eva suggested, taking another look to satisfy her curiosity. 

"I think so," Simon nodded. "I want this one." 

"Okay," She smiled, forcing her jealousy from her mind by keeping her gaze towards the floor to keep from looking at him. "If you'll just follow me over here, I'll get your paperwork started." 

"Didn't think it was so complicated." 

The clerk giggled, "This must be your first time." 

"And my last." 

"Well, this is Tiffany & Co. We're proud of our products," She smiled, motioning for both Simon and Eva to follow her to the office, grasping a mint-colored felt box to hold the ring as well as a decorative and rather lavish bag to put it in after she entered the style number into her computer. "Alright, I'll need a valid I.D. and current address." 

Simon huffed as he removed his wallet from his back pocket, setting his I.D. on the desk, watching how her eyes widened after she had realized he wasn't from the States. And he's British? How'd she get so lucky but yet I'm here trying to steal fiancés? She scoffed to herself. "Is this still your current address?" 

"It won't be, but for now, yes." 

"I'm sorry," She chuckled embarrassingly. "I can't read it. It looks scratched out. What's the street address?" 

"60 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5EE, United Kingdom." He answered. 

"Apartment number?" 

"262." 

"Thank you. Phone number?" 

"(307) 555-9624." 

"Payment method?" 

"Whatever is easiest." He sighed. 

"I always advise a check for an amount such as this." 

Eva expected Simon's brows to raise in nervousness, but he was dead serious, intentionally not caring how much he was about to spend. She's worth it. 

"Then a check it is." 

He nodded, removing one of many blank checks he tucked away in his wallet. Only ever having to use a check once, he had hoped it would be accepted considering his main branch of bank was based in the United Kingdom. However, he had already gone through the grueling headache of transferring nearly 50% of his funds into American dollars to be able to spend without fail. 

He glanced over at Eva as the clerk continued typing into her computer, reaching over to remove a print-out of the sales invoice as well as the acceptance of the terms and conditions of the transaction. Simon Riley, the clerk sighed. Such a strong name for a strong man. He signed the dotted line before writing the amount of the ring on his check, finding no issue in dropping the grand total of $14,163.12 for the diamond ring. "That's like you're buying a small car." Eva giggled. 

"Cars are that cheap?" He chuckled, leaning back in his chair after sliding the check over the desk. 

"Used ones." The clerk added. I didn't fucking ask for your input, lass.

"I'll let her pick out the wedding ring." He said to Eva. 

"Oh, I think she'll like this one so much she wouldn't want to take it off." 

"She'll still need a band, yeah?" 

Eva nodded, presenting her wedding ring set on her left finger, letting him look at it. Her finger complimented the gold band and gold diamond ring on her finger. Lavish, he thought as he looked at it. "We got this band last year when we renewed our vows." 

"It's lovely. Her father has classy taste." 

"I was surprised," Eva teased, nudging his elbow playfully - just like how Kiera would. It made him smirk, coming to enjoy spending time with her mother. "Bud can have a heart when he wants to." 

"Alright, you're all set! It might take a couple of days for it to show up in your account, but it cleared on my end." The clerk said, taking the tag off of the ring and putting the ring in the iconic "Tiffany Blue" felt box and putting it in the bag as well as a care guide. "This ring does come with a lifetime service. So if she needs it to be resized, cleaned, or tightened, just bring it here and it's complimentary." 

"I'd sure hope so if it was that much." 

The clerk huffed, "Yeah, which I'm sure she'll have to bring it by to have it cleaned if she wears it every day or does strenuous work. She won't have to pay anything upfront." Or if she gains weight, her 'little fingers' will get fat again.

He reached for the bag on the table after he stood to his feet, nodding at her as he offered his hand to Eva, helping the older woman stand to her aching feet as he escorted her out of the office and towards the entrance of the store. "That woman had her eyes on you." Eva giggled. 

"I noticed," Simon scoffed. "The feeling wasn't mutual." 

"I noticed that. Don't bring Kiera in here, she won't be happy." 

"I just might so I can watch her scold that woman." 

Eva laughed, "Would it be shameful if I thought about that too? As much as I hate seeing how mean my daughter can get, she has a mean streak as wide as the valley." 

"That much is true," Simon nodded, chuckling. "But she's calmed down a lot since we got back." 

"I'm glad she has. I don't like seeing her angry. Although I hate the circumstances involved." She frowned, remembering the pain she had to see her daughter in after the Chicago explosion. 

"You won't have to worry about that anymore," Simon assured her, opening the door for her once the reached her SUV, finding himself being just as protective over her mother just as much as he was Kiera. She's just too precious for this world, he thought, recalling the same thoughts he had towards his mother. 

He sat in the passenger seat of the SUV, putting the bag containing the ring between his knees before Eva put the car in gear. "You hungry?" 

"I can wait until I'm home." 

"That's not what I asked, honey." Eva giggled. 

"If that's the case, I can eat if food was offered." 

"That's better. I'll buy your lunch since you blew so much money on my daughter." She teased. 

"Madame, when it comes to your daughter, no amount of money phases me." He chuckled. 

Eva didn't know what to say. Instead, she blushed and giggled, immensely happy for her daughter to have found such a good man. She deserves it so much. I don't think I could get much happier for her. My heart is so full. 

"So, what're you hungry for? Drive-thru or sit down restaurant?" 

"I'm not opposed to either." Simon shrugged. 

"Well, if I had to choose, I don't like to eat from a drive-thru." 

"So a sit-down restaurant it is." 

[thefloorisbalaclava]

Ummm... Hi, hello, I really love your writing?!! I'm slowly going through your masterlist and I just had to pop in with the most obnoxious praise, I'm so sorry. Can't even put it into words properly tbh... But that Soap fic? The friends-to-lovers speedrun one - perfection. Masterpiece. And I'm not even that big of a Johnny fan. But the way you write him, and even more importantly, the way you write the reader, their interactions, little jokes, the intimacy; it's all just feels so real, you make your characters feel alive. Not to put anybody down, but damn, a lot of times x reader fanfiction is so frustrating to read because reader is given the most boring cardboard cutout personality. I understand why it's the case, yet it still gets stale fast. Which is why I cannot praise you enough in this regard. And it's so easy and pleasant to read too! I hope I'm making sense with this, since English is not my first language, but I love your English and your writing style, just the language itself is so smooth. It feels like I can breeze through your fics in one go, even when I have trouble staying focused.

Oh and by the way! Please use x reader tags more. A lot of us fandom dwellers only read specific tags like "könig x reader". And main tags like cod and mw2 get flooded with content, so your posts are going to be buried fairly quickly, and I think this is why you don't get enough attention. Which is well deserved btw! Please don't doubt yourself and your writing capabilities, you are simply amazing. Thank you for sharing your talent and effort here, it's truly appreciated! Much love <3

P. S.: And those sub!König and Ghost headcanons? Delicious. Breathtaking. Mind-blowing!

I've had this in my inbox for like a week because I didn't know how to respond and, honestly, I still don't! All I can say is thank you so so so so so much! Characterization and flow is so important to me when writing because I want it to feel real! It's the main reason why I don't use descriptions for reader inserts. Reader is a blank slate. No name. No particular eye color, hair color or length, no particular size or weight and, most importantly, no skin color.

I have dealt with my share of reading a really great fic only to be taken out of it because my "cheeks turned pink" or the canon character "ran his fingers through my hair". That is not possible for ALL people so I try not to use language like that!

So this is why this ask means so much to me because though reader is a blank slate, you were able to enjoy and get something out of it just from the banter and dialogue! Blank slate does not mean reader has to be boring! Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to send this and for some of the best feedback I have ever received 💙💙💙

[givereadersahug]

2022 Fic Round-Up (Again)

Am I doing another fic round-up? You bet! They deserved to be talked about. Why should I stop talking about them once I publish my work? Thanks for the tag @danpuff-ao3!

Rules:

Post the top 5 works you're most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular),

your top 4 current WIPs that you're excited to release in the new year,

your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year,

your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year,

and your number 1 favorite line you've written this year!

Tagging - Anybody who see this post, go write ahead! I want to read about your fics and what you're excited for!

5 fics

I'm going to try to talk about fics I hadn't talked about before. Got to spread the love! And I feel like some deserve more attention, or at least an acknowledgement from me that -- yes, I wrote the thing and no, I didn't forget about you.

The Mirror of Erised (Harry Potter, Gen, 200 words) - This was written for a prompt community on Dreamwidth, which challenges you to write a drabble using 100 words or 200 words in total. The prompt for this work was 'shattered glass.' This was...different. I knew immediately I wanted to write a fic using the Mirror of Erised. I have a whole complex backstory for the mirror and how it came to be and what it saw through the years. And I knew how I wanted to end the story. The story would make for a heartbreaking, well-rounded fic if I had the capacity and the talent to convey the emotions I wanted to convey -- the devastation, the yearning, the complete loss, the possession. So I used this prompt as an exercise. Sometimes I do that --- most of my drabbles are slice of life fics that don't need more than a few hundred words to express. But for some --- for some, I want to see if the story is worth telling. Does it merit an expansion? An in-depth look? A second chance? It's a great exercise, imo, and I get my bazillion and one ideas out there in the world and not hidden away in my folder on my computer to never be seen again. The process of thinking about the world and editing the drabble and seeing it published --- it helps with figuring out which story is worth my time and which isn't worth my time. Maybe I will go back to it. Maybe I inspire someone to write something. Who knows? But back to this drabble. I'm proud of this drabble. I think. I'm proud of the story in my head that I have for this world. I do, however, want to change the wording and the pitter-patter, rhythmic way I wrote it. (Since I think the rhythm was lost a bit and certain sentence structures, imo, were wonky.) But the reception over on Dreamwidth was great. People really responded to it and I really love the story in my head. Which that's the problem, huh? If only we have a way to transfer the stories we envisioned directly onto the page. Now I'm just rambling. Back to the topic. I'm proud of this. It deserves to be talked about. There. <3

Peace (SK8 the Infinity, Matchablossom, 200 words) - This was also written for a drabble prompt community on Dreamwidth. The prompt was 'you know me.' Matchablossom. What can I say? They are my comfort ship right now. Unlike my other ships, this one is 'realistic' in a way that this could be my parents or my friends and their partners or the loving couple I know down the street. Just them. Being old friends who happened to be in love and do domestic things together and fight and be annoyed with each other --- without the fate of the world hanging in balance, or a chosen one prophecy, or complicated planetary relations muddling the waters. Comfort. It's the little things you do for the person you love, which I think I captured in this drabble. The little things that Kojiro does for Kaoru throughout their days together. (In this case, feeding him, since Kojiro runs a restaurant and Kaoru is a mess of a human being who forgets to eat and needs to be fed.) Action speaks louder than words -- the dynamics of their relationship, their feelings for each other. I was working on my 'showing, not telling' and I don't know. This drabble is one I often come back to to read. Most of the fics I read is all about the complexities, or the dangers of saving the world/country/universe/etc, the grit & harshness of a couple getting together. Which is great! But sometimes writing about domestic fluff and established relationships with no true conflict --- well, there are so few writers that can get that right for me. Each genre and each trope is complex in its own way, and everyone has different tastes, and sometimes you just have to write the fic you want to see in the world. This is a long-winded answer to just say that I know what I like, and I love this drabble.

Forgiveness (Harry Potter, Severus Snape/unnamed male character, 625 words) This was written for the hp-coffeehouse community on Dreamwidth for the prompt - coffee/tea in hot weather/summer. Old man Snape! Waiting in a teashop and asking for forgiveness from an old lover. I wanted to write a Muggle AU about regrets and...man, was this hard. I think I did okay. I went for a more lyrical style. I had no specific male lover in mind, since this was about Severus coming to terms with his past actions. I was reading Yoko Ozawa's works at the time (highly recommend her books) and I was trying to capture her style. I don't think I succeeded, but I'm happy with the outcome. Even if it took me a while to get this written. 🤣

Devotion (SK8 the Infinity, Matchablossom, 7316 words) I wrote Intricacies first. Devotion is a remix of that fic. I was dumb and thought - 'Huh. What if there was a fanfic that actually dealt with the real legal issues in Japan in relation to same-sex couples adopting?' Cause, let's be real here. Same-sex couples can't get married and they can't adopt. (Yet.) And there were a lot of fanfics about Kaoru and Kojiro happily married and maybe adopting a child, and I decided to throw cold water onto the parade. I wanted to read a fanfic about their struggles to get married and to adopt, and when I couldn't find one, I wrote it myself. In the end, this fic isn't even really about them adopting. It's about them coming to terms with each other and them being a team. Adoption and marriage (and to a lesser extent, citizenship, a whole other bag of issues Japan has) was just a vehicle in Kaoru and Kojiro being more Kaoru and Kojiro. You think that given I wrote the fic I have the words to express my feelings about it or talk about the emotions I wanted to convey, but I can't. 🤣 Anyway, I'm proud of this fic. Go fic!

Colours (Harry Potter, Snarry, 2268 words) This was written for the Liquid Luck Drabble challenge. The prompt was a photograph of blue butterflies on a fallen log. It's pretty simple. I just wanted to write a fic in which Severus gets railed by Harry. But I also wanted Severus to be hopelessly smitten? But yet in a Severus way? idk how to describe it, but I wanted to write how Mr. Darcy looked in the second proposal scene in Pride & Prejudice (2005). Completely enamored, enchanted, beguiled, besotted---- basically all the adjectives. 🤣 I wanted to create a sense of ethereal and grace in the story, cause the photograph (which is linked in the story) is such beauty and mystic and other-wordly. I know I'm not a plot-heavy writer. What I do want is to bring up certain emotions while you read and I wanted this fic to be like a dream you dreamed once.

4 WIPs

I'm not going to count my fest fics. Mostly, I just don't want to jinx myself. I have yet to drop a fest and I feel like the more I talk about them, the more I get insecure? Have second thoughts? Something goes funny in my brain, so here are other projects I hope to accomplish in the next year or two.

The Loneliest Time Project. I always wanted to write a series of fics based around a theme, so I figured new year, new project. The Loneliest Time is the sixth studio album released by Carly Rae Jepsen and it's my favorite album of 2022. It is also ripe for inspiration. Each song is an examination of different types of loneliest. There is cynicism in this album. There are heartbreaks, regrets, bitterness. I have a few ideas already. I just need a push to actually write them out.

King Severus. My bedtime story for Coco. I'll finish it! I promise, Coco! I PROMISE.

Your Name & Paranorman. These are two Snarry AUs I spoke about once or twice on Discord. I have the outlines. I just...hmmm. Something is holding me back, and I need to figure out what it is.

Restoration. My incomplete Snarry AUctoerfest entry. The one I dropped and wrote something else for the fest. I'm hoping to have this one done before the 2023 AUctoberfest, but who knows? *crossing fingers*

3 improvements

I got over my writer's block? That is a major improvement, I think. 🤣 Do I even need the other two?

Signing up for fests! That really helped in getting my mojo back. And participating in prompt challenges. I apparently like structure and rules, so fests & prompts really helped this year.

Learning not to worry too much about being perfect. English is technically my third language. I used to be obsessed over my fics having to be perfect before I even think about posting them online. I don't even care if my plot would be received well as long as my grammar is perfect. My grammar is farrrr from perfect. (I'm sure there are a bunch of mistakes in this post.) I have eccentricities in my writing style, the way I talk, the way I think. Nobody is ever perfect, so why should I be? And the edit button is always there. (Also, can I say again how tenses are the BANE OF MY EXISTENCE. arghhhh.)

2 resolutions

I want to crack that 10k mark. One of my fic needs to hit that 10k mark. Please?

Thorki, my love. My OTP. You are intimidating and scary to write for. I hope I can write something for you. So far I have dipped my toes in. I just need to submerge myself fully. Hopefully. Maybe.

1 line

Hmmm. I only have one line? But..hmmm. Okay, for this bit I decided to randomly choose one fic from SK8 the Infinity and one from Harry Potter and pick a line from there. (Or in this case, a paragraph.)

Devotion - (SK8 the Infinity, Matchablossom, 7316 words)

This moment at the tail-end of Kaoru’s rant, him voicing all his anxiety filled thoughts he must had have obsessed over – this moment with Kaoru’s flushed cheeks, his hair out of place from all his gesturing, and his eyes filled with heated passion and the deluge of pure emotions cascading from every pore – Kojiro thought he was in love with Kaoru before but this. This was the moment Kojiro knew with absolute certainty he was head over heels, couldn’t live without, shout from the sun and moon and stars and heavens he was totally, devastatingly, hopelessly in love with Kaoru – the most infuriating man Kojiro had ever known, and the most caring man Kojiro had ever known. He would have fought the world before for Kaoru, but now he would fight Kaoru if he himself got in Kojiro’s way in making him happy.

Dragons - (Harry Potter, Severus Snape/Charlie Weasley, 2659 words)

Dragons were misunderstood; people always saw them as violent creatures when they were anything but violent. Hulking and snarling, they were gentle creatures at heart. They react with brutality and sheer force when backed into a corner. I knew how to handle the beasts; I am reaping the reward for bedding one.

[outrunningthedark]

This judgemental day betrayal from Fin and potentially Dom is gonna be sooooo good! I can’t imagine Dom staying with Rhea because all the Liv stuff would have been a waste.

Jimmy needs to come back this weekend with Roman, because unlike Jey I just don’t know what else they do with Jimmy right now. He belongs in the Bloodline and we about to see the old Bloodline be babyfaces.

Oh and yes, I agree HHH using Jey as a cash grab at MITB was naaaaasty work, oh I was so sure he was about to win

(Me when there's a wrestling ask to give me a break from my other TV show: 😍)

Let's discuss! -> After last night, I am even more curious how the love triangle is being dealt with. I could buy Liv and Dom conspiring if it stopped at destroying the locker room (especially Dom's "Who did this?" like he was truly confused who would have it out for them right now, lmao), but the fire? I mean...Liv *was* burning a Judgment Day shirt and the Dirty Dom one and the pic of them, sooo...was that a symbolic gesture (he's not gonna be THAT version of Dom anyone) or does she really not know???? (I'm hoping it's the latter, ngl.) -> The MITB loss for Jey is truly a moment where I had to sit back and be like...are we sure they don't hate this man? (And I think this has become the growing perception.) But when you think about it logically...he's just too damn popular. If his cousin were still the champ? Jey probably would be a singles star because it adds to the story - Jey left. Jey wanted to make it own his own. Jey did what he set out to do. So the next time he'd face Roman the fans would actually have hope that he could dethrone the TC; that he would. But Cody is the champ now. Cody is supposed to be the most important person. WWE can't have anybody deliberately outshining him while Roman's gone because we all know what's gonna happen when Roman gets back - Cody won't be important anymore even WITH the belt around his waist. -> Thank youuuu for mentioning Jimmy because I feel like he's the forgotten one in all of this. I'm sure this isn't the most popular opinion, but part of me thinks Jimmy MIGHT have been okay with the role he played leading up to WM? Even though fans were calling for him to get his own legit singles run, I just think about moments like him saying how proud he was of Jey for establishing himself as a solo wrestler while Jimmy was injured, or one of the videos where they answered questions about their family and Jimmy silently nodded at Jey (without Jey noticing) when they asked who the most underrated was. Just my read of it, but as the "older brother", I think Jimmy was okay with taking a step back if it meant Jey finally got the attention he deserved. But now...I have no idea what's next. He's obviously gonna have issues with little brother because that's how kicked him out of the family, but does that mean teaming up with Roman again and (yet again) playing the silly sidekick??? Because if that's the case...send Jey to SD sooner than later and get those tag titles back, thanks. Give us SOMETHING.

(Everyone scrolling past this is gonna be like "Damn. This bitch can talk." 😄)

[swxppedshitposts]

Muse Bravery Checklist: Alexsander Lovecraft Repost and fill out the form all about what your muse would/wouldn’t be brave enough to do. Then tag any friends you’d like to see do it as well! Note that some of these aren’t smart things to do but in this case, bravery and risk are both included.

Tagged By: @hunting-songs Tagging: All you bitches <3

My muse would … [x] Spend the night in a haunted building (He lives in one lmao) [x] Go into a burning/collapsing building to save someone (If it's a woman or child, then yeah, probably) [x] Take a shortcut through a dark alleyway [x] Stay calm with a weapon pointed at them [x] Be confident defending themselves from an attack [x] Touch a dangerous exotic animal (Soup the maybe alligator isn't just an exception <3 He IS the dangerous exotic animal in most cases tbf) [x] Take someone else’s punishment to protect them (Only if he cares lmao) [x] Travel to an unknown place by themselves [x] Spend a night in the woods alone [ ] Witness (or join) a séance (I don't think he has enough reason to do that? I'm not saying he wouldn't if he had the right motive though) [x] Play a scary video game in the dark alone (He does this for fun) [ ] Explore a pitch black catacomb with only one light (He would definitely think of this as just a very stupid move to make for no good reason lmao he wouldn't do this for just anybody) [x] Contact the spirit of someone they once knew [x] Spend the night in a cemetery [x] Sit in a room with one hundred creepy dolls (Literally just his house) [x] Hang their feet over the edge of a tall building [ ] Swim in dark, murky waters without being able to touch the bottom (Again, that's just stupid to do without a valid reason) [x] Be covered in spiders, snakes, or other insects [x] Go looking for the source of a mysterious sound late at night (Also arguably stupid thing to do but he's more likely to do this than the other things because he can usually defend himself pretty well) [ ] Spend an hour sealed up in a coffin (Trauma </3 NOPE) [ ] Go sailing miles from shore without any communication (Another arguably dumb thing to do without a necessary purpose) [/] Use a Ouija board (^^, but could be convinced) [ ] Go diving in a dark, underwater cave (What for?) [ ] Climb through a long tunnel just big enough to fit through (He's been known to be creatively suicidal but not this creatively suicidal LMAO suffocating to death over a long period of time doesn't sound like a great way to go out) [x] Explore a spot where cult rituals were performed [x] Go walking late at night, alone (Common activity for him) [x] Spend the night in a home where someone was murdered (Again, he lives there <3) [ ] Go surfing on the Dark Web (Too paranoid!!!) [x] Play an urban legend game (bloody mary, the midnight man, etc…) (Most of them are bollocks but I like the idea of him being able to summon certain people he once knew in this way if he wants to) [x] Stay home alone with a suspected killer on the loose (What else is he going to do about it? Call Caroline???) [x] Climb a dangerous mountain where many others have died on their way to the top (Mountains are his preferred place to chill) [x] Explore ancient ruins where strange things have happened [x] Touch a supposedly cursed object (His curse probably cancels out most other curses tbh) [x] Check out a creepy cellar or attic [/] Cross an unstable bridge over a huge drop (I mean, he could just use his wings, so? Maybe? If he was with people he could do that around?) [ ] Pick up a hitchhiker in the middle of the night

[scoobydoodean]

I think the conversation now is diverging from what prompted the original tags (me expressing frustration related to the 10th point). I don't want us to argue in circles about this, and that's an unfortunate state I think we may be nearing. Let me clear one thing up I'm seeing:

Regarding Emma getting a chance to choose a different path—You've mentioned several times that Emma used wanting help as a ploy. I believe you think this is a) something I don't accept despite it being very clear in the episode b) a sticking point that forces me to concede to your view (i.e., Emma can't be saved because she doesn't want to be saved).

Let me clarify: I agree that Emma attempts to use a fake ploy for help. At no point have I argued otherwise. My belief that Emma can be rehabilitated has nothing to do with me believing her false ploy. My belief that Emma can be rehabilitated has everything to do with the simple fact that she is only a few days old, she has been brainwashed, she has never been presented with other choices. Those are simple facts. I believe these facts and the fact that she hasn't actually hurt anyone mean she deserves a chance to truly realize she can and should choose a different path. At no point did I say she genuinely sought that path in the scene where she tried to kill Dean. I simply believe she was more than capable of getting there.

You may believe she will never change her mind and can't be saved, but again—that's your opinion based on a future we don't get to see. "Kill this person now to prevent them from becoming a monster in the future" is not usually a perspective Sam and Dean operate from. It's what the entirety of season 2 is about, and it continues and continues to be a rule they favor both before 7.13 and after. Hopefully now I have explained adequately enough for you to respect my perspective despite the fact that it differs from your own.

A few other random notes on new subjects you brought up:

She did it to save the life of her child and if her child was in imminent danger again, she would put his life above the lives of other people. This is something that Sam and Dean do as well with each other, but the narrative prefers them so tends to skirt around it in ways that don't feel as directly bad.

Some variation of "What Amy does is no different/not very different from what Sam and Dean do" is a popular view, but not one I agree on. I have a post about this here and a related post here.

Dean insisted that he wasn't going to let her walk His responses to her and to Sam later in the car back that up.

Because we disagree on the above, we also disagree (in spirit) on the following:

The entire thing with Emma played out in the open right between them, no secrets.

Sam certainly did do what he did right out in the open, but he did it specifically because he heard Dean say he would let Emma walk away, and Sam was not okay with that.

Following the sequence of events: Dean lets Emma in -> Dean draws the gun and tells Emma he was onto her from the beginning (completely true. We do not disagree on this.) -> While he holds Emma at gunpoint, Dean says he would let her walk away because she has not killed anyone.

We begin to disagree here. You believe this was the lie and what Dean said in the car after ("I wasn't going to let her walk") was the truth. I think the exact opposite (and so does Sam).

"You haven't killed anybody yet, Emma. Walk away" is a statement wholly consistent with Dean's personal ethical code as seen in episodes like 1.14, 2.03, 2.10, 4.04, and 7.03. It is especially true of how Dean responds to children, and we have a direct example of Dean letting another child who wants him dead go just 10 episodes before in 7.03. Dean tries to lie to Sam about his intentions to get Sam off his case. It does not work, because Sam overheard him say it. We also see Dean's hesitation in the way Dean falters when Emma begs him, "Please don't let him hurt me" and Dean looks at Sam helplessly—his gun lowering slightly.

But honestly, that's not what makes Dean's choice to kill Amy feel asshole-ish. It's that he did it behind Sam's back.

We agree that Dean doing this behind Sam's back was the wrong call. We may or may not agree on how severe of a wrong-doing this is compared to killing serial murderers vs. brainwashed kids. I don't know if we do or not, but it doesn't really matter. I feel I've explained myself well enough.

If we want to talk asshole moves, another one is being so furious that your brother might want to give his own daughter a chance that you shoot her and then immediately lecture him in the car about how he dared to hesitate to shoot his own kid, and then tell him his kid was not really his kid to try and make his hesitation sound not only unfair but also completely irrational. I don't know—do we need to all compare notes about who's the worse brother, or is it enough to acknowledge all of this only started yesterday because someone got some hate mail from samgirls about how Sam is a bastion of moral goodness pure precious cinnamon roll who is too precious for this world, who has never done anything wrong in his entire life and always always cares about the sanctity of human life while Dean is a Bad Man™️, and that, adjacent to that subject, there has been a persistent fandom claim I've seen a lot this year that his daughter doesn't matter, while everyone else Dean ever killed or thought of killing where it might have been slightly questionable is the end of the world.

#okay wait do y'all think that she wasn't going to try and murder Dean?#Do you think he was going to get through to her?#convince her somehow to not try to stab him?#that she was telling the truth at all in that scene?#because she was totally going to try and kill Dean#like 100% that was going to happen#and if Sam hadn't shot her then Dean would have had to kill her and that would have been so much harder on Dean#like it was disturbing that Dean had a 3 day old monster child that wanted to kill him but who was then killed by her uncle Sam instead#and even more disturbing that they then never mention her again#but these are also the guys who left their half brother in Lucifer's cage and didn't lose any sleep over it so...#and I love Dean but killing Amy was an asshole move#and there's kinda a difference between killing an active imminent threat and killing someone in cold blood after the fact @jinkieswouldyoulookatthis

I didn't want to clutter someone else's post but this was partially directed at me? I've talked about the whole "Emma vs Amy" debate quite a few times, but I'll share a few thoughts.

Amy is a present, unrepentant, fully cognizant, adult, serial murderer. She is not actually sorry about what she did in any way. She believes that slaughtering humans like cattle to feed them to her son was the morally correct action even if it wasn't the ethical action because it kept her son alive. She is not correct.

Emma is a brainwashed child who's been psychologically conditioned for a few days. She has never killed anyone and only wants to kill Dean because some women who abused her told her to.

Hunters like Sam and Dean primarily deal in punitive justice, not preventative justice—and what I mean by that is that Sam and Dean try not to kill people (with powers or without powers) who have never killed anyone.

While I think you're right to point out that a preventative justice component is in play, that is not primarily how Dean makes the decision to go after Amy, and the reason we know that is because Amy's son swears to kill Dean and Dean does nothing about it because the boy has done absolutely nothing wrong.

Dean's application of his personal code is consistent here. He kills Amy, who is a murderer who killed four people, but he does not intend to kill Emma or Amy's son—both of whom wanted to kill him—because neither has actually killed anyone and both may choose not to.

You say that Emma was going to kill Dean 100%, but you don't actually know that because we never got to see that future. You assume Amy would never have killed again, but when you add up "murderer who regrets absolutely nothing" and "child vulnerable to catching illnesses" you get "Mom who absolutely would kill again as necessary and who would feel zero remorse doing so just like the last time".

I don't personally think SPN gives us any reason to suspect that three days of psychological conditioning from a cult is too much to overcome. We have seen other characters overcome much more serious levels of psychological conditioning intended to make them killers. For example, Cas and Alex. I'm not saying Emma wasn't trying to pull the wool over Sam and Dean's eyes in the scene where Sam shot her, but I am saying that doesn't actually mean in any way that she couldn't be convinced to actually choose a different path.

Under the same litmus test with which you suggest Emma's condemnation, we'd also condemn season 2 Sam for his potential "future" crimes. We are killing monsters before they actually become those monsters... because of the dark path someone else intends for them to go down. Amy—again—is an active present unrepentant serial killer.

I think sometimes people misremember the scene where Sam kills Emma—recalling the scene as a scene where Emma lunges at Dean with the knife and Sam steps in just in time to save his life, or where Dean is unarmed and Emma has him at knife point. But that is not what happened. Emma quite literally brought a knife to a gun fight. Dean had a gun pointed at her, and if she was thinking straight at all, she would have left to avoid being killed if given the chance—especially when Sam arrived. And had she not, Sam could have shot her at that point—but Sam didn't wait to see what she'd do. He wanted her dead, because even if she ran, he didn't think they were equipped to deal with surprise attacks from Dean's Amazon child. That is the decision Sam made after a brief moment to consider, and it makes sense to me given the headspace he was in at the time and his assessment of Dean's headspace as well, but it does not make his decision consistent with his previous or future behavior regarding people who have been psychologically conditioned to kill.

My own frustrations are more with fandom, for a thought process that really really does not make sense to me, where Emma deserves to die but Amy deserved to live. I do not agree with that premise. I do not understand why so much of fandom has the perspective that a child who hadn't shed a drop of blood and who was acting in response to a cult's torture, who brought a knife to a gun fight and had already been driven into a corner where she had no choice but to surrender or run—doesn't deserve a chance to choose something else before she's barely lived and before she's heard a loving word in her entire life, but an adult with full cognizance of their actions who went through with killing four people and doesn't regret it should go on with their life and is "just a good mom doing what she had to" and killing that person is the bad thing. I don't understand that. I don't think Dean killing Amy was wrong at all in the "hunters kill supernatural murderers" show. The only thing Dean did wrong was lie about it and not take enough care to keep her son from seeing it happen.